Tag: PPE

Although eye injuries can happen anywhere, even at home, the construction site is a high risk work environment and may present an increased risk to our eyes due to the construction processes, tools, dust etc.

One of the ways to protect your eyes is with personal protective equipment such as safety goggles or safety glasses. On the construction site, this should always be the last resort, when removing the hazard completely is not possible. If the risk cannot be completely removed, it should be minimised and employers must provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for employees to prevent eye damage.

Workers also need to receive the necessary training to ensure they know how to utilise PPE correctly and general construction safety training to ensure they know how to work safely on a construction site. Find out more at https://www.whitecardonline.com.au

One of the areas that are so easy to neglect is our feet, regardless of what industry we belong to but in construction, not only do our feet have to take a beating from walking around and standing on a job site all day, but they are also at risk of injury from any number of outside hazards such as falling objects, sharp objects sticking out the ground etc.

Something as seemingly small as a tool falling onto our feet can became a major injury and result in missed work days, pain, financial cost, decreased productivity and even permanent disability.

There is also the risk of physical exhaustion which can lead to unsteadiness that can cause slips, trips and falls.

To remedy the situation, workers should take regular breaks throughout the day to keep hydrated and rest off their feet.

It is also important employers protect employees and help reduce the risks by providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety boots.

They also need to ensure workers have been properly trained on safety and how to utilise PPE correctly. For more on construction safety training and the white card course click here.

Stonemasons are suffering from silicosis and associated diseases because of a lack of adherence to workplace health and safety laws.

Tradie Cameron Harper is one of those suffering from silicosis because he didn’t realise how serious the risks were of not wearing the appropriate protection. The 27 year old former stonemason has now been diagnosed with silicosis.

Silicosis is a serious and possibly life-threatening disease which is caused by exposure to silica or quartz dust.It involves the scarring of lungs which eventually causes respiratory impairment and in some people requires a lung transplant and may be fatal.

The scary part about silicosis in Australia is that it is on the rise, despite it declining globally. This spike in occupational exposure is believed to be due to the risk in engineered or artificial stone products, commonly used for kitchen benchtops.

As a tradie, what you suspect to be a persistent chest infection could actually be more serious.

A man on a construction site in St Lucia was rushed to hospital after an accident with a nail gun. The nail penetrated the worker’s heart and he had to undergo emergency surgery and was placed in an induced coma.

The 45-year-old was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition after he was shot with the nail gun just before midday on Thursday at Ironside Street, St Lucia.

This is another reminder of the risks involved in nail gun use on construction sites and why safety training is so crucial.

Although this isn’t what personal protective equipment is, no work on a construction site should go on without the necessary PPE.

The very basic PPE for construction work include hard hats and safety boots but when work such as welding, crane operation, excavation etc. is taking place, there are additional PPE that are necessary. A site’s Safe Work Method Statement should provide more information about the PPE required.

Employers should ensure workers are provided with the necessary PPE and given the training on this equipment.

There have been some serious, even fatal fatigue related workplace injuries in the recent past which is why the latest workplace technology to monitor worker fatigue levels is not surprising.

The Smart Cap monitors workers’ brainwaves to detect when they are at risk of fatigue and then sends the signal to the control room where the worker is being monitored, maintaining productivity and safety. The technology has proven beneficial in the mining sector and could prove valuable to the construction sector as well.

According to an article on the website SafetyCulture.com.au ,WorkCover NSW is reminding the community to take extreme care during the clean-up and renovation of properties following floods and fires to avoid the potential exposure to asbestos.

WorkCover has joined forces with other government agencies to assist people affected by the flooding to get back on their feet with minimal disruption to services for NSW businesses and individuals.

Additional resources have been allocated by WorkCover to help residents, businesses, workers and other organisations to protect people’s health and safety when cleaning up in bushfire and flooding affected areas.

The post goes on to list a number of issues to take into consideration during the clean-up:

If you are cleaning up after a flood or fire you should consider the following.

Electricity

Check that an electricity clearance has been given before attempting to use it.

NSW Fair Trading has issued a warning to flood victims about solar panels.

Another issue that people need to consider according to the article is first aid. It is vital that the appropriate first aid facilities are in place and people have clean drinking water and facilities to maintain hand hygiene and use the toilet. If there is an injury, there should be access to medical treatment.

Personal protective equipment is also important to protect the body and workers should have the necessary PPE for the jobs they are undertaking. These PPE must be correctly worn, workers should be educated on this.

WorkCover has also placed particular attention on counselling services. If there are any in place staff should be encouraged to use it and WorkCover will continue to offer advice and provide extra information so people who carry out work are fully aware of the safety requirements during recovery, repair or rebuilding operations.

Workers that are injured by the floods or fires and cannot get medical attention immediately can work together with WorkCover to meet their requirements so that their claims and compensation payouts are not affected.

WorkCover has also agreed to assist businesses that are financially affected by these disasters and are not able to pay their premiums to the Worker’s Compensation Scheme. This help can include waiving late payment fees, reinstating statutory instalments, and offering extended payments arrangements if needed.